Atelier Series: Sasaki Trumpet is a library of legato trumpet pieces performed by session musician and teacher Mikio (Miki) Sasaki. Recorded at Orb Studios in Austin, Texas, the goal was to create a responsive instrument full of energy, vibration, and utility. One of the decisions we made to help achieve this goal was to record all of the material in a dry studio environment. This way, you have the opportunity to really tweak the sound before applying your favorite reverb.
The character of the trumpet is partly determined by the style and quality of the vibrato. We asked Miki to play a vibrato that could suit a variety of energetic contexts and be suitable for each tuning. We also recorded legato in an “impulsive” manner to capture transitions that are more appropriate to the context; suitable for energetic lines with real movement.
Wind instruments (especially brass) tend to change intonation depending on the dynamics, range and complexity of the passage. We provided two variations of each patch to give composers the opportunity to include performances while maintaining their natural internal tuning.
Finally, we also recorded a wonderfully emotional flugelhorn with a completely different style of legato and vibrato; suitable for emotional and cinematic contexts. A real beauty.
The “Natural” patch variations are great for solos that aren’t in the same register as the accompaniment. The “Tuned” variation works well when doubling the melody line with other instruments in the same register. Be sure to explore both options!
While we like the adjustable reverb chosen for this library, we’d recommend turning it off and plugging the trumpet into your favorite reverb plugin to give it a sense of presence/space that suits your track. Most of the demo tracks (with the exception of flugel) were mixed with a slight ambient room sound at around 30%. This really brings it to life.
To add extra realism and edge to your trumpet tracks, try quickly turning the pitch wheel up a bit during more “complex” passages to simulate sharp pitch adjustments.
Mikio Sasaki, trumpeter, is a freelance musician from central Texas and a professor of trumpet at Texas Lutheran University. He was previously a member of the venerable Saint Louis Brass and has lived in New York City as a freelance musician, adjunct lecturer, and director of the brass ensemble at Brooklyn College. He maintains an active performing schedule in addition to his work as an accomplished arranger and dedicated music educator.
Coming from a family of classical, jazz, and bluegrass musicians, Mikio is a flexible performer who can move seamlessly between classical, jazz, and more. He has enjoyed international and national performances with a wide variety of groups and festivals including the Saint Louis Brass Quintet, yMusic, Chamber Music Northwest, Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, American Pops Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Broadway’s Matilda, and as a soloist with the Austin Symphony.
